Celebrating the great Canadian game. Tracking the NHL, the Canadian teams and a lot more!

Friday, December 12, 2008

He's got the fever...

The Vancouver Giants have a hockey great, one of the greatest of coaches and now one of Canada (and the world's) favourite crooners, all putting their money where their pucks go, as Michael Buble joins up with the junior hockey sensation out of the Pacific coliseum.

Buble who is a self described hockey fanatic, was announced as the latest of high profile investors to take a share in one of junior hockey's great success stories. Majority owner Ron Toigo continues to make the most talked about moves in Vancouver these days, hot off the success of his teams memorial Cup victory, hosting of the Memorial Cup and the prospect's game that the Giants hosted a few years ago.

The Giants have caught the imagination of the Vancouver sports scene, regularly playing before large crowds, a situation that continues this season with the team off to their best start since joining the WHL

Many sports commentators and observers continue to bemoan the fact that Toigo didn't seek out the ownership of the Canucks when the team was on the block and subsequently sold to Francesco Aquiliini. Though making money in junior hockey in a market the size of Vancouver shouldn't be too large a problem as long as you have a good product, compared with the salary and travel of a west coast NHL team, Toigo probably is fine with his current holdings, but one never knows where the future may take someone.

As for Mr. Buble, in addition to providing some cash to the cause, Toigo is hopeful that some of the singer's enthusiasm rubs off on the Giants roster.

At least one concern should be taken care of with Buble helping with the cash flow, should any anthem singers back out before a game, he'd probably be a more than adequate last minute replacement we would think.